what I disn't see in any other suggestion is when you add bacon and caraway to saurkraut also add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of brown sugar depending on the amount of kraut you are cooking...will definitely add a good caramel flavor to the dish.

I have made this many times (and am doing so again today). I make it in a crock pot, on low for 6 hrs. The beer is key. I use a dark lager--Brooklyn Lager usually, but might try a Stout to see how/if its subtly sweeter taste complements that of the cabbage. The suggestions to not rinse the kraut are noteworthy. Almost any German or Polish sausage works well here.

I have made this several times -- I don't follow the recipe but rather the method/ratio of ingredients (I am only cooking for two, so making 9 cups of sauerkraut is a little much). As others have mentioned, the beer choice is key - anything hoppy or bitter will result in a very bitter-tasting kraut. I've had the best luck with lighter beers (like Beck's), but there is still a slight bitterness no matter what I do. I also add caraway seed and juniper berries when braising the kraut. I'm not a huge fan of this type of dish, but my husband loves it. I also do not rinse the kraut. Pay close attention to the timing when you put the sausages in -- if you use whole sausages and cook them too long, they can split.

This recipe is awesome! I used a little more sausage and a little less kraut...as per comments. I also did not rinse the kraut. As for beer, Becks Dark has been the beer of choice for the last two Oktoberfests. Also, when I cook the sausage, EASH batch gets cooked in 12 oz of the Becks + 1 onion. My husband and I never have leftovers from this....and we use 10lbs of different sausages!! Thanks for a great recipe and the great tips!

Great flavor! Used only about 1/2 of the sauerkraut and beer because I was only making for myself and husband. Did not rinse the sauerkraut, but did drain it. Used Sam Adams Octoberfest beer. Flavor was wonderful. Will make again!

After buying all of the ingredients and spending a small fortune I was excited about this fall dish. After preparing and cooking the sauerkraut I ended up with a very bitter tasting dish. I used the suggested beer, to be on the safe side, and found that everything was ruined. (I believe it was the beer) I ended up adding brown sugar and placed under the broiler for a couple of minutes. This took away the very bitter edge and after eating the kraut the bitter taste remained. I'm giving it one fork because the sausages were so good and thats because they were purchased from a German pork store! Next time I'll just make the sauerkraut the way I make it, which is without beer.

I made this again for our annual Oktoberfest. This time I made the sausages and kraut together and used Sam Adams Oktoberfest beer. I made it earlier in the month and froze it. This really is an amazing recipe. EVERYONE loves it! It's easy and well worth any effort you have to put out. After defrosting, I braised it in the oven until it was hot enough to go in the sterno pans. My house smelt awesome! I thought I might have to add additional beer, but I didn't and the liquid did boil down some. Give this one a try!!

Made this dish for an office party, using a crock pot. Definitely do not rinse the kraut, and perhaps halve the amount. It makes A LOT of sauerkraut. Used an assortment of Polish sausages, and brats from a local butcher. Reduced the volume of liquid/kraut/vegetable mixture by about half before putting it into the crock pot, then, let it go on low for about 5 hours. Got great reviews!